Patrick Henry was born into slavery in 1787 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He purchased his own freedom in 1811, moved to nearby Lexington to be with family, and in 1816 purchased his wife Louisa's freedom. In 1817, after a recommendation from a friend, Thomas Jefferson rented the newlyweds the area around the Natural Bridge. Henry farmed the land, built a log cabin just north of the Bridge on the other side of the cliffs, kept a room for guests, and on Jefferson's occasional visits hosted him there. As caretaker of the property, he protected the Bridge and surrounding land and guided travelers who came to see it, including Jefferson, Chief Justice John Marshall, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, Henry Clay, Sam Houston, and other prominent early Americans. His stewardship helped make Natural Bridge the site it is today.